The Third Shinobi World War

"Huh? There's even classical Chinese here. Looks like we really found something good."

After the minor detour of wiping out some bandits, Orochimaru and his student visited dozens of Uchiha ruins over the next month.

At last, they found something of value in this cave. Most of the Scrolls here were badly damaged, and the surviving text was in classical Chinese. Orochimaru guessed the site dated to the early or middle Warring States period.

The Uchiha Clan's territory had still been in the Land of Lightning back then, so this should have been a temporary outpost. Yet so much writing remained here. The operation must have lasted a long time.

Orochimaru took the Scroll from Yan and carefully made out the surviving text.

"This Scroll says they found something nearby that had been taken from them. But for some reason, they were forced to withdraw."

Orochimaru glanced over the remaining Scrolls in the cave. "These are all search records."

He picked up several Scrolls from the ground. "From what's left of the records, they ruled out many locations. But the final result didn't survive. We'll study them more when we get back. Let's go, Yan."

Orochimaru and Yan left the cave. A goshawk cried out overhead and swooped straight down, landing on Orochimaru's shoulder.

Orochimaru's expression turned grave as he took the Scroll from its beak.

After reading it closely, he sighed.

"Yan, it looks like our journey will have to end for now."

"An uprising has broken out in Sunagakure. The rebels are challenging the village leadership over the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Kumogakure has declared war on both Konoha and Sunagakure, and Iwagakure has attacked Konoha too."

Yan wasn't surprised. Kishimoto had contradicted himself plenty of times, but the timeline couldn't be off by more than five years. By his reckoning, the war was due around now.

What Yan didn't know was that the Third Shinobi World War should have broken out months earlier.

The Shinobi World Daily had deliberately smeared Sunagakure's leadership, but that had only convinced the rank-and-file shinobi that their enemies were framing their superiors.

Only after the Third Kazekage had gone nearly a year without appearing, and Sunagakure began redeploying its border forces on a large scale, did the powder keg of the Shinobi World finally explode.

By the time master and student hurried back to Konoha, it was already midday.

Orochimaru headed straight for the Hokage Building, leaving Yan to go home.

"I'm back!"

Hearing the voice she hadn't heard in so long, Mikoto came out of the kitchen and hugged Yan before he could put down his things.

"Honestly, you look thinner."

Mikoto rubbed Yan's cheeks. "You haven't eaten, have you? Your brother-in-law probably won't be home for lunch, so we'll eat first in a bit."

Yan nodded and went to his room to put down his luggage.

Then he opened the system panel.

[True Immersion System]

Gold Coins: 8,700

Skills:

[True Immersion Substitution Technique MAX]: ...

[Counterattack Lv. 2]: ...

Over the past month, besides traveling from site to site with Orochimaru, Yan had dragged him into sparring sessions and wrung all 600 Gold Coins out of Orochimaru (Sannin).

Even with the 10 Gold Coins from daily training and the 10 from the organization's Wish, he had only reached 8,700 Gold Coins.

What surprised Yan was that the members of the Night Organization had kept making Wishes even while he was away. They must have been training hard.

Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building.

All the Jonin had gathered in the conference room.

The Third Hokage looked at the intelligence before him and spoke slowly.

"Everyone, Kumogakure and Iwagakure have declared war on us. Sunagakure's and Kirigakure's intentions are still unclear. I wish it weren't so, but we are already at war."

"In my name as the Third Hokage, I declare Konoha in a state of war!"

"Here are my orders..."

The Third Shinobi World War had begun!

When Fugaku came home and saw Yan eating, he nodded. "Glad you're back."

Yan froze. In the system, Fugaku's label had changed to Third Shinobi World War.

So... does that count as a new shinobi?

"Ahem. It's been a while. Fight me later!"

Fugaku's eye twitched. His brother-in-law had barely come home, and already he wanted a fight. What was wrong with him?

Still, in wartime, a little fighting spirit was a good thing.

With that in mind, Fugaku took a Kunai and headed to the dueling ground.

There, he found Yan grinning a little too cockily.

[Battle begins! Opponent: Uchiha Fugaku (Third Shinobi World War)]

That message meant he could get Gold Coins from Fugaku again.

Seeing Yan's grin, Fugaku decided the boy had gotten carried away. It was time to bring him down a notch.

"Then let's begin."

The moment he finished speaking, Fugaku vanished and reappeared at Yan's side.

Clang!

Boom!

Yan drew his sword and blocked the Kunai, triggering Counterattack. He drove his feet into the ground, cracking it beneath him, and charged at Fugaku as he leaped back.

Fugaku was surprised. He hadn't expected Yan to react so quickly.

Instead of running, he's coming straight at me? He's underestimating me.

Fugaku used his Kunai like a short blade to catch Yan's sword, then kicked at him. Yan released his sword, deflected the kick with his right palm, and sent Hidden Shadow Snake Hands lunging at Fugaku from his left.

Fugaku stepped back. Yan caught the falling Crimson Sky in his right hand and slashed at him.

Fugaku closed his eyes and opened them again, revealing his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. In an instant, he trapped Yan in a Genjutsu, making his slash miss.

But within two breaths, Yan broke free. Flames ignited along Crimson Sky, and he swung a fiery slash at Fugaku.

Uchiha Style: Sun Halo Dance!

Fugaku watched the slash tear through the air toward him. He was shocked, but he didn't panic.

He formed Hand Seals, raised an Earth-Style Wall, and quickly pulled away.

Bang!

Sun Halo Dance struck the Earth-Style Wall and scattered into sparks. After completing his Hand Seals, Fugaku sprang up from behind the wall, breathing out a torrent of flame shaped like a dragon's head.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Yan had already activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. He used the Great Dragon Fire Technique too.

Boom!

The two Fire Release attacks collided. Yan drew his sword back to his waist in a quick-draw stance. Chakra gathered along the blade again, but this time it formed arcs of lightning instead of flames.

White Fang Swordsmanship!

Yan and Crimson Sky seemed to become a streak of white light as they burst through the flames toward Fugaku.

By the time Fugaku made out Yan through his Sharingan, only five steps separated them.

A split second later, the rush of air from Yan's charge blew Fugaku's hair out of place.

Fugaku caught Yan's sword near his neck with his Kunai, but below him, a Shadow Clone held another Kunai pointed at Yan's abdomen.

[Match decided. Successfully challenged Uchiha Fugaku (Third Shinobi World War). Received 50 Gold Coins.]

They lowered their weapons. Fugaku couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.

He had used two-thirds of his strength, yet Yan had still pushed him this far.

And Yan had barely used any of the techniques Orochimaru had taught him. Did that mean he hadn't gone all out?

Yan really hadn't. Counterattack had triggered only once, and he had held back other moves too. But using those would have made it more than a sparring match.

"Yan, have you considered... Never mind."

Fugaku had been about to suggest that Yan graduate early. But blades showed no mercy on the battlefield. Better for him to spend a few more years in Konoha.

Yan, however, was thinking the exact opposite. Once he had collected enough Gold Coins for a ten-pull, he would graduate early. Otherwise, his strength would hit a ceiling.

Besides, if he stayed in Konoha, he wouldn't get a chance to kill Danzo.

Danzo, meanwhile, felt utterly miserable. He hadn't brought his own people, and the shinobi at the border refused to go along with his aggressive plan.

All he could do was wait for orders from the Third Hokage, and that infuriated him.